A problem associated with circuit board connectors of the kind in which lead forming contact leg portions extend from an insulating body and have free contact ends for connection, usually by reflow soldering, to respective conductive paths of the circuit board, is that the contact leg portions may easily be deformed slightly, particularly during handling, out of pitch or out of a circuit board engaging plane with consequential risk of crossed or unreliable connection. Such deformation may also make it impossible for the free contact ends to be inserted in through-holes of a circuit board, when desired.
Japanese patent bulletin 3-133070 discloses a contact aligning member for a connector having lead receiving apertures for holding the contact leg portions at the required pitch. However, threading the respective leads into the apertures can be a difficult and time consuming operation.
The problem is exacerbated by ever increasing contact density requiring finer, more flexible leads for increasing complexity and miniaturisation.